LIT 3933: LITERATURE & LAW I STAND FOR LAW! RENAISSANCE AND EARLY MODERN LEGAL IMAGINATION SUMMER 2021 Instructor Dr FX GLEYZON Email fgleyzon@ucf.edu Course Meeting Times Online / Webcourses Office Hours & Location Online – by appointment © Gerard David (c 1450/1460–1523), The Judgment of Cambyses (1489), oil on panel diptych, 202 x 349.5 cm overall, Groeningemuseum, Bruges, Belgium Wikimedia Commons Credit Hours Section: 0W61 Required Text Stephen Greenblatt (ed.) The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume I, Norton, New York & London, 2006 Course Description Course Description I Stand for Law: Renaissance/Early Modern Literature and Legal Imagination explores how Renaissance and Early Modern writers (Machiavelli, More, Shakespeare, and Milton) deal with legal subject matter in order to articulate ideas about personhood, nationhood, and political identity During the semester, we will read fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries texts (fiction and non fiction) in order to examine how these “legal stories, texts or plays” offer a sharp and incisive critique of the relationship between Law and Morality, Sovereignty and Right The course has as its aim to offer an innovative interdisciplinary analysis of Renaissance/Early Modern texts in relation to legal matters as well as an overview of current philosophical approaches We will consider what those “legal” plays and texts have to offer now and in the future, and how our past still informs our present and vice versa The course is organized into weekly modules The primary readings are supported by two different scholarly articles within each module Both of these articles approach the text or its themes from unique perspectives, and together allow the student to explore far beyond the surface of the module’s content When synthesizing these two texts to analyze a primary text further, students are familiarizing themselves with critical scholarship, practicing analysis, and engaging in the critical conversation surrounding both legal matters in Early Modern literature and contemporary theory Course Goals -To introduce students to Renaissance and Early Modern texts in relation to law -To enhance students’ critical thinking skills by offering an overview of Renaissance and Early Modern criticism along with current philosophical approaches to law -To prepare students to respond creatively and actively to the most powerful dramatic achievements related to legal subject matter -To acquire the literary skills to identify and examine, deconstruct themes related to crime, punishment, and justice in Renaissance and Early Modern texts -To improve students' critical thinking abilities and engaging in collateral theoretical readings The class will be conducted as a structured discussion facilitated by miniature synthesis essays every weeks, punctuated by lively seminar discussions and concluded with a final research essay The methodological bias of the class is close "reading" of each text This is a class in which your insights will form a major part of the work and will be the basis of a large portion of our class discussion Students will need to read carefully and develop effective ways of conveying their ideas to the class Expected Learning Outcomes -Acquiring the literary skills to identify and explain Early Modern themes and issues from a legal perspective; -Realizing the importance of Early Modern legal imagination and contemporary criticism; -Improving students' critical thinking abilities and engaging in collateral theoretical readings; -Equipping students with the technical skills necessary for conducting research in this field, presenting new information, and constructing a scholarly argument Course Assignments *Week One Introduction (Academic Activity Assignment): By the end of the first week, you will be required to take the Introduction Quiz Questions are based on the content of the course syllabus Please Note: All instructors/faculty are required to document students’ academic activity at the beginning of each course In order to document that you began this course, please complete those academic activities by the end of the first week of classes or as soon as possible after adding the course Failure to so may result in a delay in the disbursement of your financial aid The due date of this assignment is viewable on the course schedule * Synthesis Essays (30 Points): Students are required to post miniature synthesis essays of 550-650 words each, including quotations, citations, but excluding Works Cited After reading module materials and lectures, students will respond to one or more of the questions included at the end of the module in essay format, complete with an introduction paragraph, thesis statement, and conclusion Each essay will synthesize the two scholarly articles assigned as a framework for analyzing the week’s primary text in order to create an original, insightful, and focused critical argument in response to the question(s) This is an opportunity for students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of texts as well as to practice presenting organized, well-structured analysis Students are required to post their synthesis essay on the corresponding assignment page by each Friday, 11:59 pm the week the assignment is due The due dates for each essay are included in the course schedule at the end of this syllabus Please note: Guidelines and expectations for this assignment are thorough, explicit, and clear Please make sure you consult and review the instructions and the rubric provided in Webcourses before submitting your work * Discussions (15 points): Students are also required to post module discussion responses of a minimum of 300 words each on Webcourses throughout the semester, including quotations, citations, but excluding Works Cited After reading module materials and lectures, students will respond to the discussion prompt provided for them at the end of the module, citing a primary source and at least one secondary source in their post Additionally, students will be asked to respond to at least two of their classmate’s posts with no more than 100 words No primary and secondary citations will be required in these responses This is an opportunity for students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of texts as well as to practice discussing the texts in response to a guiding prompt or question Students are required to post their responses on the corresponding discussion board by each Friday, 11:59 pm the week the assignment is due The due dates for each discussion are included in the course schedule at the end of this syllabus Again, please note: Guidelines and expectations for this assignment are thorough, explicit, and clear Please make sure you consult and review the instructions and the rubric provided in Webcourses before submitting your work *Final Essay (55 Points): At the end of the semester, students will produce a final essay/ research paper In close consultation with your instructor, you will decide on an essay question relating to the materials covered this semester I am most interested in your own creativity, so this final essay provides you with a significant amount of autonomy in terms of topic choice Alternatively, you may also choose a research question from a list you will be provided later in the course You will be expected to an appropriate amount of individual research in relation to the topic you choose I cannot conduct this research for you on my own time, so you are responsible for finding relevant secondary sources for this assignment The researched essay will be approximately double spaced pages in 12-point Times New Roman font with a full bibliography A minimum of scholarly sources (book chapters, peer-reviewed articles, etc.) must be cited in this essay Failure to meet the minimum page length or source requirement will result in a point deduction from your grade Yet again, please note: Guidelines and expectations for this assignment are thorough, explicit, and clear Please make sure you consult and review the instructions and the rubric provided in Webcourses before submitting your work Instructions for Students A note about this class: It is crucial that you understand the pace of the course is quite intense, requiring an enormous amount of your time, focus and energy throughout the duration of the course While many of the course assignments will be truly enjoyable, they will also require intellectual rigor and for you to step outside of your comfort zones in order to engage the material in a meaningful way In addition to the course material, you will have my lecture notes (see modules) for each text we will study This course also sits at the confluence of Milton studies and cultural theory Again, I want to stress that this course is going to be intensive Please ensure you look at all material in each module, all the assigned readings and the assignments In addition, I expect the assignments (discussions/ short papers) to be turned in on time There will be no credit given to late assignments Please make sure you are aware of the expectations of this course before committing Late/Makeup Work: Written work must be submitted by the due date Any work submitted after the deadline will be automatically given a (F) with no written feedback No extensions will be granted except in the case of a documented personal or medical emergency There is no make up assignment for this course Please Note: Active, respectful, and timely engagement in twice weekly seminars is required for success in this course Students are expected to actively listen and participate consistently each week during seminar lectures and presentations Classroom Conduct: Community participation is necessary for success in this class, and therefore civility must be maintained at all times during seminars, in emails, and in all other class-related correspondence Disrespectful or disruptive behavior of any kind will not be tolerated Email Communications: All communications related to this course should maintain professionalism Read this article to understand the expectations of University email correspondence with professors Please note that I not respond to emails on Saturdays and Sundays I also not respond o emails inquiring about information already found in the syllabus As per UCF policy, please allow up to 48 hours for an email response If you happen to miss a seminar at any point in the semester, please make sure you communicate with your peers and consult the syllabus for required assignments and reading before reaching out to your professor Technology Materials Requirement: As this is an online course, students are expected to have access to a computer frequently to access email, Webcourses, and a document program such as Word and Powerpoint If you have not previously taken an online course, please navigate the digital tutorial that Webcourses@UCF provides Please Note: As this course is completely web-based, you are strongly encouraged to maintain consistent access to a trusted computer This includes making sure your computer is protected with a reputable anti-virus program You are also strongly encouraged to sign up for free CLOUD STORAGE or invest in a USB drive in order to save all materials externally from your computer, which will mitigate loss of work in the unfortunate event of computer malfunction Students have free access to Microsoft’s OneDrive with their Knight’s email account and Dropbox has free storage options as well Plagiarism: Conscious plagiarism of any sort is completely unacceptable Discussion of ideas and communal learning is a primary goal of this subject; stealing others' ideas or words, (as distinct from citing or adapting them openly and honestly) undermines this goal Please not hesitate to contact me if you have any doubts whatsoever about proper citation of sources or about standards of intellectual honesty Please Note: Plagiarism (use of another's intellectual work without acknowledgement) is a serious offense Full acknowledgement for all information obtained from sources outside the classroom must be clearly stated in all written work submitted All ideas, arguments, and direct phrasings taken from someone else's work must be identified and properly footnoted Quotations from other sources must be clearly marked as distinct from the student's own work Gordon Rule Course: This is a Gordon Rule course The assignments that fulfill the Gordon Rule requirement are indicated with an asterisk These assignments are the miniature synthesis essays and the final essay of the course To meet the requirements, students must achieve the following: Submit at least 6000 words of evaluated writing through the miniature synthesis essays and the final essay of the course as a cumulative total Compose all Gordon Rule assignments with a clearly defined central idea/thesis with a clear and logical organization Demonstrate awareness of the conventions of standard written English, demonstrate adequate support for all theses/ideas, and be formatted or presented in a way appropriate to the discipline Disability Statement: The University of Central Florida is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request Students with disabilities who need accommodations in this course must contact the professor at the beginning of the semester to discuss needed accommodations No accommodations will be provided until the student has met with the professor to request accommodations Students who need accommodations must be registered with Student Disability Services, Student Resource Center Room 132, phone (407) 823-2371, TTY/TDD only phone (407) 823-2116, before requesting accommodations from the professor Copyright: This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc These items are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment Please not copy, duplicate, download, or distribute these items The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and for your use only All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder Third-Party Software and FERPA: During this course, you might have the opportunity to use public online services and/or software applications sometimes called third-party software such as a blog or wiki While some of these could be required assignments, you need not make any personally identifying information on a public site Do not post or provide any private information about yourself or your classmates Where appropriate, you may use a pseudonym or nickname Some written assignments posted publicly may require personal reflection/comments, but the assignments will not require you to disclose any personally identity-sensitive information If you have any concerns about this, please contact your instructor Syllabus Amendment: The instructor withholds the right to alter the syllabus at any time during the semester Should changes occur, students will be notified via Webcourses Tentative Course Schedule * Subject to change at discretion of instructor Please note: Students are required to read every text listed in the modules, including the secondary readings Every reading is provided in Canvas and in your textbook WK June 28thJuly 2nd TOPICS INTRODUCTION: Law and Literature: A debate RENAISSANCE AND EARLY MODERN LEGAL IMAGINATION Required Readings Primary Reading: Ward, Ian “POSSIBILITIES.” Chapter In Law and Literature: Possibilities and Perspectives, 1–2 Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995 pp 3-26 ASSIGNMENTS DUE: Academic Activity (Syllabus Quiz) Introductory Quiz on the Syllabus: Friday, July 2nd at 11:59 pm on Webcourses All instructors/faculty are required to document students’ academic activity at the beginning of each course In order to document that you began this course, please complete this academic activity by the end of the first week of classes or as soon as possible after adding the course Failure to so may result in a delay in the disbursement of your financial aid Your assigned activity will be the Introductory Quiz on the Syllabus, which you may find below in this module Please read the Syllabus carefully and thoroughly before completing this assignment, as you will need to pass with a 15/15 in order for me to document that you've completed this assignment You will have unlimited attempts to achieve this score First Discussion Post Friday, July 2nd at 11:59 pm on Webcourses Module July 5thJuly 9th MACHIAVELLI: JUSTICE & LEGAL MATTERS “There cannot be good laws without good arms, I will not consider laws but speak of arms” (Machiavelli 1988, 47) Required Readings Primary Reading Machiavelli, N., 1988, The Prince, Q Skinner and R Price (eds.), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press pp 1-90 Secondary Readings Cavallo, Jo Ann "On Political Power and Personal Liberty in The Prince and The Discourses." Social Research 81, no (2014): 107-32 doi:10.2307/26549604 Tarlton, Charles D "Political Desire and the Idea of Murder in Machiavelli's "The Prince"." Philosophy 77, no 299 (2002): 39-66 http://www.jstor.org/stable/3752194 ASSIGNMENTS DUE: First Miniature Synthesis Essay: Friday, July 9th at 11:59 PM on Webcourses Module July 12thJuly 16th THOMAS MORE’S UTOPIA: SYSTEM FAILURE – A CRITIQUE OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM “Laws could be passed to keep the leader of a government from getting too much power” (More 2010, 89) Required Readings Primary Reading More, Thomas Utopia (Norton Critical Editions) ed by George M Logan and Robert M Adams (3rd ed 2010) Secondary Reading Elsky, Stephanie "Common Law and the Commonplace in Thomas More's Utopia [with Illustrations]." English Literary Renaissance 43, no (2013): 181-210 http://www.jstor.org/stable/43607610 Berry, Edward "Thomas More and the Legal Imagination." Studies in Philology 106, no (2009): 316-40 ASSIGNMENTS DUE: Second Discussion Post: Friday, July 16th at 11:59 PM on Webcourses Module July 19thJuly 23rd SHAKESPEARE’S THE MERCHANT OF VENICE: “I STAND FOR LAW” “In the course of justice none of us/Should see salvation!” (4.1.196-97) Required Readings Primary Reading Shakespeare, William “THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.” The Cambridge Shakespeare, edited by William George Clark and William Aldis Wright, 2:277–368 Cambridge Library Collection - Literary Studies Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.pp 1-150 Secondary Reading Ward, Ian Shakespeare and the Legal Imagination Law in Context London: Butterworths, 1999 pp 115-132 (Chapter 5) Stretton, Tim Contract, debt litigation and Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice Adelaide Law Review, The, Vol 31, No 2, 2010: 111-125 ASSIGNMENTS DUE: Second Miniature Essay: Friday, July 23rd at 11:59 PM on Webcourses Module July 26th- MILTON’S THE TENURE OF KINGS AND MAGISTRATES: KILLING THE KING, LAWFULLY! July 30th Required Readings Primary Reading Milton, John The Tenure Of Kings And Magistrates in The Major Works Edited by Stephen Orgel and Jonathan Goldberg Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003 pp 3-48 Secondary Reading Lovett, Frank "Milton's Case for a Free Commonwealth." American Journal of Political Science 49, no (2005): 466-78 Accessed February 15, 2021 doi:10.2307/3647726 Chapman, Alison A "Milton and Legal Reform." Renaissance Quarterly 69, no (2016): 529-65 ASSIGNMENTS DUE: Third Discussion Post: Friday, July 30th at 11:59 PM on Webcourses Module Aug 2ndAugust 6th MACBETH: CRIMINALITY AND FANTASY "thought, whose murther yet is but fantastical" (1.3.139) Required Readings Primary Reading Shakespeare, William Macbeth Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009 pp I-167 Secondary Reading Curran, K (2012) Feeling Criminal in Macbeth Criticism 54(3), 391-401 Wilson, Jeffrey R “Macbeth and Criminology.” College Literature 46, no (2019): 453–85 Optional Garber, Marjorie B “Macbeth: The Male Medusa.” Essay In Shakespeare's Ghost Writers: Literature as Uncanny Causality, 85–123 London: Routledge, 2020 ASSIGNMENTS DUE: Third Miniature Essay: Friday, August 6th at 11:59 PM on Webcourses Module August 6th at 11:59 PM Final Research Essay due – August 6th at 11:59 PM on Final Research Essay Module Methods of Students' Evaluation: ASSIGNMENTS POINTS (100 Total) DISCUSSION POSTS (3 TOTAL) 15 MINIATURE SYNTHESIS ESSAYS (3 TOTAL) 30 FINAL/RESEARCH PAPER (1) 55 The following grid sets out the criteria used to assess a student’s standard of attainment The grid is intended as a guide to the qualities found in pieces of work that meet the standards for each degree class, but it is NOT necessary for a piece of work to fulfill all the criteria in a column in order to qualify for any particular class Indeed, not all the categories are relevant to every module or every piece of work, nor are the terms used here exhaustive, so use these indicators sensibly The criteria of assessment can be grouped under the following three main headings: 1) Knowledge and Understanding Examiners are looking for knowledge of the topic (including, where appropriate, understanding of the text(s) under discussion and of the historical and cultural context within which those texts were written), and of scholarly and/or critical approaches to the topic A very good piece of writing will demonstrate detailed assimilated knowledge of topic and scholarly background, while an excellent piece will use its knowledge creatively to produce self-aware writing that develops and widens the topic 2) Argument, Structure and Analysis Above all, the argument should remain sharply focused on the topic Detailed knowledge of topic and background, and the judicious analytic use of evidence (including, where appropriate, the use of quotations from texts and/or scholars), will help to prevent the sorts of generalized arguments that weaken the focus A strong argument builds the writing into a coherent structure, and is at the same time developed by the structures of the syntax used: writing that shows flair and sophistication grows from the lively and varied syntax that can articulate complex arguments 3) Presentation The proper use of references and, in assessed coursework, the inclusion of footnotes and bibliography, are necessary elements in a carefully presented piece of writing More important, however, are clarity and fluency of expression, which come from detailed knowledge of topic and background, a sharply focused argument, and the careful avoidance of inaccuracies of vocabulary, grammar and spelling Grading Breakdown DESCRIPTION Points Letter 10 A piece of work which achieves all the listed criteria below (as from 96 points) and which, in addition, would be deem to be of publishable standard in terms of scholarship, originality and contribution to the field will be awarded a mark of 108-120 There is substantial evidence both of preparatory reading and the use of primary and secondary material is critical and acute Sources are acknowledged appropriately Personal response is imaginative and nuanced A piece of work which achieves all the relevant criteria listed in this range will be awarded a mark of B+ Work awarded with a B is good in all respects and shows a predominance of the following criteria The focus maintained on the exercise or question is sharp throughout, material is presented in a well-integrated and fluent structure, and expression is precise The argument shows persuasive analysis and independence of thought appropriate to the candidate's level Range and aptness of exemplification are good There is a generally clear understanding of the issues and a detailed knowledge of the topic; most major aspects are covered Syntax, grammar and spelling are largely correct There is clear evidence of preparatory reading and there is a sound critical grasp of the material Sources are acknowledged appropriately Personal response shows some originality As the above, the themes/issues developed in the essay should be more engaging and developed/consolidated with adequate academic references Focus is uneven and not maintained consistently on the question Material lacks coherence and there may be some repetition Expression sometimes lacks clarity The argument is too descriptive and may contain contradictory statements There is a reasonable understanding of the issues and a sound knowledge of the topic, although lacking in detail Some significant aspects are inadequately covered or not addressed at all Syntax, grammar and spelling contain significant errors, and the use of critical apparatus is inconsistent There is some evidence both of preparatory reading but the use of material is largely uncritical but sources are acknowledged satisfactorily Personal response is predictable Presentation and style are poor Lack of clarity and relevance of argument Broadly appropriate, but largely unfocused and some but limited knowledge Much material presented is irrelevant, and the structure is disjointed and/or repetitive Expression frequently lacks clarity and the argument depends on assertions that are either unfounded and/or contradictory Syntax, grammar and spelling are poor, and the use of critical apparatus is inadequate Little use of background material and/or appropriate evidence Little evidence of real 88100 A 83-87 B+ 75-82 B 71-74 C+ 63-70 C 59-62 D+ 50-58 D 11 engagement with the issues Personal response is nonspecific and/or over-predictable Work is inadequate in most or all respects The argument is mostly irrelevant Exemplification is entirely or almost entirely irrelevant, extremely perfunctory and inaccurate Expression is frequently incoherent and the work almost wholly lacking in reasoned, structured argument Syntax, grammar and spelling are very poor and critical apparatus absent No serious attempt is made to engage with the topic, and there is no appreciable evidence of appropriate knowledge *** Incompletes will only be given in the most extreme of circumstances and are at the discretion of the instructor 0-49 F - I 12 ... critical apparatus is inadequate Little use of background material and/or appropriate evidence Little evidence of real 88100 A 8 3-8 7 B+ 7 5-8 2 B 7 1-7 4 C+ 6 3-7 0 C 5 9-6 2 D+ 5 0-5 8 D 11 engagement with the... INTRODUCTION: Law and Literature: A debate RENAISSANCE AND EARLY MODERN LEGAL IMAGINATION Required Readings Primary Reading: Ward, Ian “POSSIBILITIES.” Chapter In Law and Literature: Possibilities and... Collection - Literary Studies Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.pp 1-1 50 Secondary Reading Ward, Ian Shakespeare and the Legal Imagination Law in Context London: Butterworths, 1999 pp 11 5-1 32